Hardware associated with communications and data networks and other systems may be replaced or repaired as necessary to maximize operations and productivity. The hardware may include patch panels and/or servers located within data centers or dedicated rooms that house a plurality of such patch panels and servers. Patch panels include a panel of network ports that may connect incoming and outgoing lines of a local area network (LAN) or other types of communication, electronic or electrical systems. Connections between the network ports are made with patch cords or cable assemblies that allow circuits to be arranged and rearranged by plugging and unplugging the patch cords.
When it is desired to replace one or more patch panels, a technician physically removes the patch cords at the patch panel, removes the old patch panel, installs a new patch panel, and reconnects the patch cords to the new patch panel. Care must be taken to reconnect or transfer the patch cords from ports on the old patch panel to exactly the same ports on the new patch panel to ensure that the correct interconnections between components are maintained.
Other electronic components such as servers may include a plurality processors, memory, storage, and other electronic components connected to a variety of different types of cable assemblies. When replacing the servers or components of the servers, the attached cable assemblies must be physically disconnected, the old server or component removed, a new server or component installed, and the cable assemblies reconnected to the new server or component. As with the patch panels, ensuring that the cable assemblies are repositioned or reconnected to the correct connectors or ports of the server is important to maintain the functionality of communications and data networks.
Technicians sometimes label the ports/connectors, receptacles of electronic components and mating patch cords/cable assemblies to increase the likelihood that each of the patch cords/cable assemblies will be correctly transferred when replacing an electronic component. Such labeling operation is often time consuming and troubleshooting incorrectly connected patch cords or cable assemblies results in significant lost productivity. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system that will reduce the time required and increase the accuracy when replacing a patch panel, server, or any electronic device that involves removing and reconnecting patch cords or cable assemblies.
The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor to limit or expand the prior art discussed. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.